The transport of live animals across Europe remains one of the most contested welfare issues in agriculture, with documented suffering during long journeys being contested by industry and regulators.
Long-distance transport causes measurable suffering: animals are deprived of food and water, exposed to thermal extremes, densely crowded with unfamiliar conspecifics, and subjected to novel sensory environments for extended periods. Elevated cortisol, increased injury rates, immune suppression and mortality all increase with journey duration. The EU's EFSA has repeatedly recommended mandatory maximum journey times of 8 hours and an end to transport of unweaned animals. Yet political resistance from exporting member states has blocked reform for decades.